April 23, 2012

Global Seminars & Invited Speaker Series

IMAGE AND REPORTOF TWO LINEAGES FROM BAZTAN BEYOND THE FRONTIERS OF NAVARRE

Baztanese lineage and "virtue" staff of the Bazán family in the Palacio del Viso

Dr. Rosa López Torrijos.
University of Alcalá de Henares

Don Álvaro de Bazán, first Marquis of Santa Cruz had his palace of Viso decorated with frescoes that constitute the most important cycle of profane painting of the Spanish 16th century. 

The work was carried out by Genoese painters under the orders of Giovanni Battista Perolli and the team followed the formal guidelines of his home country.

On the upper floor of the palace, in the private part of the marquis, we find a conference room dedicated to the origin of the Bazán lineage and two rooms dedicated to the origin of the entailed estate of Don Álvaro de Bazán, commander of Castroverde, grandfather of the Marquis of Santa Cruz.
 

Hall of Lineages of the Palacio del Viso
 

The paintings follow historical and legendary texts of the origin of the family and respond to the contemporary need to show the antiquity and nobility of the lineage following a traditional and aristocratic approach to society.
On the other hand, the galleries of the courtyard on its two floors and some of its main halls were dedicated to show the exploits of the palace's owner, showing the virtù staff of the marquis himself, origin of the nobility according to the criteria of humanism.

Both themes: lineage and virtue respond to the discussion on the origin and value of the nobility very alive in the Spain of the sixteenth century and the paintings of the palace of Bazan are a unique testimony of this discussion in images.
 

Relief of Ceuta and Tangier. 1578